The present invention relates to tape rule holders of the type used by carpenters, plumbers, electricians and other construction and repair workers. Generally, these types of workers use during their work day heavy-duty tape rules of one inch or greater thickness carrying 25 or more feet of metallic measuring tape which is spring-wound within a metal tape rule case. Also, it is common practice for such workers and others to carry encased tape rules in a leather holder having belt slots so that the holder (along with other types of tool holders) may be mounted on a rugged waist-spanning belt.
In most instances in the past, tape rule holders have been fabricated from heavy duty, top grain saddle leather with a front leather pocket-forming piece first die cut and die molded into pocket shape and thereafter double-riveted to a leather back piece having a pair of belt slots in its upper portion. Such tape rule holders have also included a safety strap, spanning the top pocket opening, for maintaining the encased tape rule in its seated position within the holder pocket when the tape rule is not in use by the worker thereby avoiding inadvertent loss or misplacement of the tape rule.
A leather tape rule holder of the type described above, but without a top strap, has been disclosed and claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,933 granted on Apr. 18, 1989 to Brett P. Seber, one of the inventors of the tape rule holder of the present invention. The tape rule pocket of the holder of such patent includes side walls presenting inwardly projecting pressure detent ridges which together grip a tape rule inserted into the pocket and maintain the tape rule therein against accidental dislodgement. The tape rule holder of the present invention comprises an improvement of the above noted patented holder in that additional means are provided to maintain the tape rule within the pocket to guard against accidental dislodgement thereof.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a leather tape rule holder, for mounting to a worker's belt, which includes in its holder pocket configuration inner side detent ridges and an inner back pressure strap which cooperate to firmly and safely maintain a metal encased tape rule within the pocket at times when a top safety strap is not in place across the top of the tape rule.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a leather tape rule holder formed of front and back die cut flat leather pieces, and a die cut flat leather strap, with the front piece being configured so that upon riveting its side and bottom edge areas to the side and bottom edge areas of the back piece a tape rule pocket is formed which includes inner side detent ridges and with the strap being positioned within the pocket on the back piece so as to form an inner back pressure ridge, whereby the inner side detent ridges and the inner back pressure ridge cooperate to firmly grip and maintain a standard tape rule and its casing within such pocket.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following summary and detailed descriptions of a preferred embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the ccompanying drawing figures.